Hay-knife.



No. 836,541. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906. T. SPRIGGS.

HAY KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1906.

VE/VTORa 11 TTORNZZ 1 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SPRIGGS, OF LITTLE RIVER, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAMG. GREENBANK, OF LITTLE RIVER, KANSAS.

HAY-KNIFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed March 30, 1906. Serial No. 308,984.

Kansas, have invented a new and useful Hay- Knife. of which thefollowing is a specification. 4 l I This invention relates tohay-knives, and

has for its object to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensivedevice of this character by means of which wet or 'dry hay may be readilcut or severed from the stack.

A furtlier object of the invention is to provide a knife havingcorrugated or stepped cutting jedges terminating. in a spear-polnt,whereby the knife may be readily driven into the ha and the latter cutor severed clean from the ground without danger of dulling said edges. 1

A further object is to rovide a knife having a foot-rest or ste s idablymounted on the shank of the'too and capable of being adjusted verticallyof the shank to vary the depth of cut of the knife.

A still further object is to generally improve this class of devices, soas to increase their utility, durability, and efiiciency, as well as toreduce the cost of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it beingunderstood that various changes in form, proportions, 'and minor detailsof construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this s ecification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ay-knife constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

The improved device comprises a shank or standard 5, preferably formedof a single strip of metal bent upon itself, as indicated at 6, andhaving its lower end twisted at 7 to produce a flat extension 8 forattachment to a cutting-blade 9. The fixed end of the cutting-.blade iscurved or rounded, as indicated. at 10. while the free end thereofterminates in .a spleen-point 11, said knife being provided wit stepcutting edges 12,inclined to the longitudinal axis of theblade andspaced apart by vertical walls 13.

By having the cutting edges formed in the manner described the tool maybe readily driven into the hay and the latter out or severed withoutdanger of dulling the cutting edges.

Secured to the free end of the shank 5 is a handle 14, and slidablymounted on said shank'is an adjustable foot-rest or ste 15.

The foot-rest 15 is provided at one end t ereof with a loop or strap 16,adapted to receive the shank 5, and at its opposite end with avertically-disposed lug or projection 17, designed to prevent accidentaldisplacement of the foot of the operator when manipulating the tool. Asa means for adjusting the step of the shank 5 there is provided alockingbolt 18, slidably 'mounted in a recess 19 formed in the ste andnormally held in engagement with t e shank 5 by means of a coiled spring20, interposed between the bolt 19 and the end of the casing 21, asshown.

In using the implement the foot-rest is adjusted vertically of the shank5 to regulate the depth of out of the knife by tilting the loop or strap16 with the foot and sliding the same up or down, as the case may be,said step being locked into adjusted position by the clamping action ofthe spring-pressed bolt 19. The operator then grasps the handle 14 anddrives the implement into the hay by exerting a downward pressure on thefootrest or step, thus cutting or severinglthe hay and permitting thesame to be detac ed from the stack. In Fig. 3 of the drawings there isillustrated amodified form of the invention,

' in which the blade or knife 9 is formed with a continuous knife-edge22, the tool bein otherwlse substantially the same as that s own in Fig.1 of the drawings.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided astrong durable implement admirably adapted for the attainment of theendsiin view.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A hay-knifecomprisinga shank, and a substantially triangular-shaped cutting-bladesecured to theshank and having its opposite edges provided with steppedcutting members inclined to the longitudinal axis of the blade andconnected by vertical walls some of which terminate in a spear-point atthe apex of the cutting-blade.

4. A hay-knife comprising a shank, a substantially triangular shapedcutting blade having its upper portion curved and secured to the shankand having its opposite end terminatin in the spear-point, said bladebein provided with stepped shearing edges spaced apart by vertical wallsand inclined to the longitudinal axis of the blade.

5. A hay-knife comprising a shank, a substantially triangular-sha edcuttingblade secured to the shank and aving its opposite edges providedwith stepped cutting mem bers, a foot-rest slidabl mounted on theshank'and a spring locklng-bolt adapted to engage the shank for lockingthe foot-rest in ad usted position.

6. A hay-knife comprising a shank, a substantially trian ular-sha edcuttingblade secured to the shank and liaving its opposite side facesflat and unobstructed and its opposite edges provided with steppedcuttin members inclined to the longitudinal axis 0 the blade, afoot-rest slidably mounted on the shank, and a spring locking-boltadapted to engage the shank for locking the rest in adjusted position. v

7. A hay-knife comprising a shank, formed of a single piece of metalbent upon itself and twisted at one end to form a flat terminalextension, a cutting-blade secured to the extension, a foot-rest slidablmounted on the shank and consisting of a casing having one end thereofrovided with a loop for the reception of t e shank and the opposite endthereof providedv with verticallydisposed lugs, 22. loc -bolt carried bythe casing and adapted to e age the shank for locking the foot-rest injusted position, and a spring interposed between the locking-bolt andthe adjacent wall of the casing.

8. A'hay-knife comprising a shank, a subar shaped cutting blade 7 tereof rounded and its oppostantially tri having one end site endterminating in a spearoint, said blade being formed with ste pe shearingedges spaced apart by vertical walls, a footrest slidably mounted on theshank, and means for locking the foot-rest in adjusted position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the'presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SPRIGGS; Witnesses:

JNO. CLU'ITER,. A. A. CRANDALL.

